Dropped In a State of Imaginary Grace
by long island lolita
Summary: CB. Chap. story. She looks a little sadder, and a little more broken. He’s probably the only one that notices.
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Dropped In a State of Imaginary Grace

**Ship**: CB, not really NB but more of mentions of it, DS, NS

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass would live in my bed. Clearly he doesn't, so there's that.

**Summary**: A collection of CB connecting drabbles that hopefully add up to something. :P

**AU**: Dedicated to brunettebabe91 because she was up my ass in the best way possible to write something that's more than one chapter.  I'll do what I can with it! Also, a Christmas prez for y'all a day early. I just beat Santa!... Yes, I'll stop rambling now.

It's just another party. Just another party where she looks stunning on the arm of his best friend and she'll pretend she didn't see him staring and he'll down so much whiskey that when he brings home some slut with brown hair and brown eyes, he'll almost be able to pretend it's her. Except with her, he'd let her stay in the bed and would hold her in his arms, instead of kicking her out immediately after.

But at this party, there's no Nate, because the Golden Couple's on the outs, and it looks like they're in for a long winter. There's no Serena, either, because Not-so-lonely boy had a hipster convention to attend or something Brooklyny like that.

She's not the glowing hostess she usually is. She looks a little sadder, and a little more broken. He's probably the only one that notices.

She reminds him of the little jar his mother used to have to store all her precious trinkets in. The jar was nearly indestructible, but everything in it was so frail that she barely ever opened it when he was in the room. He'd ask her why, and he could still hear her answer in his head: "Because, Charles, you have a habit of breaking everything that can be." She'd sigh and shake her head, and walk off crying, drowning her sorrows in a concoction of vodka and beer and something orange that smelled disgusting.

After a while, he learned to stop asking.

This time, she looks him in the eye instead of ignoring him and she's the one who's downed too much whiskey. When she walks over to him with that look in her eyes he knows they can't be out there. He pulls her away from prying eyes and Kati and Is's matching cell phones and they go into a little empty hallway.

He makes sure not to touch her too much because if he does he'll never be able to stop. The most he does is putting his hand on her arm to drag her away.

She leans against the white brick wall, sliding down into a sitting position. She looks like a limp puppet, overused and the strings tangled. "I don't like this."

"What?" he asks, even though he's not sure he wants to know the answer.

She looks up at him, her doe eyes innocent and naïve and still sad-looking. "That you can get to me like you do."

His breath hitches.

"You're why, you know. Nate's so mad at me. He thinks I should want him instead." She tears up a little bit and his heart breaks a little bit for her, instead of over her, at the same time. He's not used to the feeling.

This time, he can't help bringing her into his arms and trying to comfort her. He tries to take her to her apartment, but she refuses to get out of his limo, so she ends up sleeping in his bed with him. He knows in the morning she won't remember any of it, but the fact that he will is almost worth it.

Almost.

He wakes up and she's already gone, a note written in that neat cursive she's famous for, thanking him for giving her a ride and signed with just her first name. He crumbles it up, throws it in the trash, and resists the urge to call her and ask her what the hell that was. He knows she won't pick up, so he won't waste his time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Dropped In a State of Imaginary Grace

**Ship**: CB, not really NB but more of mentions of it, DS, NS

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass would live in my bed. Clearly he doesn't, so there's that. Cecily von Ziegeszar, CW, and Josh Schwartz, you are some lucky bitches. Also, I forgot last time: The title's from "I Melt With You" by Modern English. 

**Summary**: CB connecting drabbly chapters that hopefully add up to something. :P

**AU**: Do you know what I just realized? This is starting to go all over the place. I'm hoping that this'll evolve into something readable. Tell me if it gets too awful. I'm also pissed because I'm worried that if I get into a whole speaking thing, I'll have to pull out of this pretty style of writing I've got the hang of right now. But I've got an idea of where I want to go, thanks, once again, to brunettebabe91. :)

It's a week later, and everyone that's anyone in their little world is crammed into a limo. They flash by the Technicolor lives outside that don't matter and are all one in the same, and the only thing that they can pay attention to is that new champaign that someone loaded the limo with. Everything looks black and white compared to outside and as the liquid goes down her throat time slows down. She looks over at him from her perch with Serena and she can tell he knows everything that's going through her mind, because she's always been a bit more see-through when she's drunk, everyone says.

She can feel her gaze drifting over to Nate, who's looking at his Dartmouth ring on his left hand and Serena on his right. Serena's looking at Dan, Dan's looking at Serena. He's looking at her. And somehow they're all watching each other, and it's all too easy to see to feel comfortable.

_Bzz._

She pulls out her phone and leans back, everyone else not being able to read.

**C:** U ok? U seem a little out of it.

She looks over and nods, smiling slightly.

**B:** Don't get ur hopes up Bass, I'm not that drunk yet.

----

They've gotten to the club and things aren't so black-and-white anymore and she feels much more at home in the swaying crowd.

She watches Nate go trail after Serena and Dan. He's gotten over her too quickly. Nate doesn't really talk to anyone anymore. Especially not him. Nate's still mad at him, even though it's not over the girl, but over the fact the girl was his.

Even though it's official that she and Nate are over, she's still nervous about going about with him. She knows that's what kills him, that she cares more about appearances that anything, and that he doesn't really fit in her picture-perfect world. If she tried to put him in Nate's spot, he wouldn't really fit the mold, and there would be empty cracks. She's terrified of what could happen in those cracks got left open.

So she sits in the crowd and dances her worries away, not letting herself think.

----

They're back in the limo, and everyone's gone home, and they're the only ones left.

Memories of bare skin and fresh leather on seats and whispers asking for reassurance flash through both their minds. She does it again, sliding herself over to him. Doe eyes look into dark.

History repeats itself, and this time there are no regrets.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title**: Dropped In a State of Imaginary Grace

**Ship**: CB, not really NB but more of mentions of it, DS, NS

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass would live in my bed. Clearly he doesn't, so there's that. Cecily von Ziegeszar, CW, and Josh Schwartz, you are some lucky bitches. Also, I forgot last time: The title's from "I Melt With You" by Modern English. 

**Summary**: CB connecting drabbly chapters that hopefully add up to something. :P

**AU**: It's Christmas eve and here I am writing this. Obviously I have no life… Oops. I spelled champagne wrong. Me, the spelling freak… lol, thanks to mystripedskirt for pointing that out. I really need to stop writing at like two in the morning. I tried to put more dialogue in here, so tell me if it's crappy or what. IFEELAWFUL. IT'SBRUNETTEBABE**71. OOPS. **Hopefully she still loves me. lol NOTE: This is maybe a month after the last chapter.

Spring break's over, and all anyone can hear is people complaining about how it should've lasted longer and that they think that they got sunburn. Their voices mixed together are grating at his ears and he thinks he's going to need a nice couple of solid drinks to get through the day. Normally he would've just gone and smoked a joint with Nathaniel, but clearly, hell had yet to freeze over.

He sees Serena and Brooklyn boy going at it on a bench resting on the ivy-covered walls of Constance Billiard (classy, S) and looks away. He looks at Kati and Is, Jenny Humphrey with her little ninth grade friends, even baked Nate, anything to avoid looking at the one person who would purposely not look back.

"Bass."

He hears her voice and looks up, surprised. She hasn't talked to him in the longest time.

She looks the same as she always has. Same headband, same flowing chocolate curls, same classic feminine take on the school uniform that only she could pull off without looking like a rigid old woman in a graying picture.

"Well, this is a step forward. You're talking to me now? In _public_?" He smirks, because that's what he's used to doing and he does it without thinking anymore.

"Don't get your hopes up. You looked bored and I didn't want to have another Jenny situation on our hands."

"Your care for mankind is remarkable."

"I try."

They're falling back into that familiar banter like they never left it and he's smiling, a real smile and so is she. The rest of the world is blacking out and she's sitting next to him and they're holding hands, in front of everyone.

"I take it…"

"Please, just _don't _talk."

He doesn't mind when she reaches over and shuts him up.

----

He hates to admit it, but he misses Nate. He makes sure to confront him; he needs his best friend back.

"Nate."

"Go the fuck away, Chuck."

"Nate, stop being such an ass and listen to me."

Nate's pouting, like the little baby he really is.

"I don't see why I should."

"Stop being such a girl. You broke up with her. It's not my fault. Plus, think of it this way: Now you're free to go mooning after Serena without seeming as much as an ass."

Nate rolls his eyes.

"Come on, man. I've known you since birth. We've gotta put this shit behind us."

Nate finally agrees, and he's in shock. He gets the girl _and_ the best friend back in the same day; what's next, his dad's actually home?

----

Okay, that was wishful thinking.

But she's there instead, and he prefers that much more.

It's two in the morning and he remembers to turn on his Blackberry. There's a text from Gossip Girl: "Congrats to the happy couple!" There they were, kissing on the steps outside of school. He grins.

They look perfect together.


End file.
